


Weakness

by SmeagolMyNeagol



Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket (Anime 2001), Fruits Basket (Anime 2019)
Genre: Boys Kissing, Enemies to Lovers, Gay Sex, Hurt/Comfort, Incest, Kind of non con, M/M, PWP, Praise Kink, Pretty Boys, Smut, Trance - Freeform, both parties consent non verbally, bottom Kyo, boys calling other boys pretty, boys crying, i hate incest but am i not supposed to ship these two? wtf, incest i guess, literally the gayest thing ive ever written, non con, non-con, not actually incest woohoo, top Yuki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2020-10-20 22:03:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20682638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmeagolMyNeagol/pseuds/SmeagolMyNeagol
Summary: For all intents and purposes, Kyo is human. He is. He just has some characteristics of a cat. His sense of hearing was better than normal people, he could jump from high heights and land on his feet unscathed...And he got really sleepy and weak when it rained.Or:Yuki finds a sleeping Kyo and takes liberties. Kyo is quite receptive.Chapter two has been added. It adds more depth and emotion to this story while providing a happy ending as well as some smut.





	1. Weakness

**Author's Note:**

> Please read this context:
> 
> This is set possibly after high school. I have only watched the 2001 anime and some of the 2019 one so I honestly don't know the full story of Fruits Basket. Please keep this in mind if you see inconsistencies.

Kyo hated feeling weak. Unfortunately for him, it was a feeling he was well accustomed to. Because of his nature, his place in the family. He was born with a disadvantage, being the cat; and yet, he refused to let it stop him. He refused to let it stifle his drive for success. He would not be locked up in that cage. He would not.

Still, his will to be strong was challenged every single day while he was living in that damn dog’s house—surrounded, it seemed, by the oppressive presence of that damn rat.

Yuki. His enemy; one who was pitted against him since the beginning of history. There were signs of him everywhere in this house, it was nearly unbearable. And yet, it was preferable to any sort of living situation in any close proximity to Akito.

Kyo would have preferred to continue training with Shishou, but that wouldn’t do. His father figure was always welcoming, but Kyo knew he needed to be here, so that he could have some chance at avoiding his fate. He had to be near his only hope of escape, and unfortunately, that meant he had to live in the same house as Yuki.

Funny that the only person who held the key to his freedom was the very person who got him in this situation in the first place, back when the first banquet took place at the beginning of history.

Kyo refused to succumb to weakness, rising to the occasion to fight Yuki at every opportunity. It was more to Kyo than it would ever be to Yuki; Kyo was fighting for his life.

It was honestly a shame, their predicament. Kyo often thought that if he wasn’t fighting Yuki to save his life, they might be friends in another life. They both liked martial arts, though Yuki seemed infinitesimally better at it than Kyo, and they both suffered at the hands of the god. Kyo often found that—after he lost fight after fight to Yuki—his grief and anxiety that he would never be free was sometimes tinged with sadness at the loss of a friendship he and Yuki could never have. This grief made him angry all over again, because he saw it as a weakness. He resolved that he would stop feeling this weakness, as it only served to hinder his chance at freedom.

And yet, there were instances where weakness was unavoidable. His curse-influenced biological predicament meant a great many things that manifested in different ways. He could hear the slightest sounds of critters scurrying in the distance, he could jump from great heights and land on his feet unscathed, his senses in general were heightened far above that of a normal human—his unique abilities were that of a cat.

In addition, to Kyo’s abject horror and disgust, his biological reaction to rain was very much that of a cat. Lethargy, the need to be touched, receptiveness, neediness. It was disgusting. It was pathetic. It was happening right now.

Torhu was staying at Uo’s for the night, unable to reject the invitation to a sleepover if she even wanted to, and Shigure was at the main house, probably fucking around with Ayame or whatever that damn dog got up to.

Yuki was out, either in his stupid garden or at the grocery store or something. Kyo couldn’t remember, and why should he? He couldn’t care less what the rat was up to on a Saturday afternoon. Honestly, Kyo was glad he wasn’t around the house.

He was able to hide this part of his nature for the most part, locking himself away when it rained or drinking copious amounts of coffee (a substance he absolutely loathed) to stave off the need to sleep.

But this flash-rain came about so quick that he found himself falling asleep at the kotatsu, the anime he was watching on the TV all but forgotten. And with everyone out of the house, he found he lacked the strength and motivation to get up and go to his room. He barely had any motivation to get dressed this morning, the storm clouds not yet visible, but affecting Kyo’s alertness even before they rolled into town. As it was, he was able to pull on a pair of pants before stomping down the stairs, only to realize the house was empty and it was quite a late hour for Kyo to awaken.

With everyone out of the house, he felt his insecurities settle, allowing himself to relax into the kotatsu while watching cartoons.

He let himself drift off, cuddling into the soft material hanging off the kotatsu, feet and shoulders shifting to simulate the touch of another. The intense rumbling that started reverberating through his chest only served to increase his sleepiness, and soon, he was completely asleep, purrs echoing through the house, obscured by the sound of the rain falling outside.

Yuki was pissed. It’d be hard to tell if one was looking right at him, perfect demeanor in place to obscure all his true feelings, but he was more than a little peeved when he was caught in the rain. He forgot his umbrella too, as if it wasn’t bad enough. If Tohru had been with him, she’d have remembered. Yuki felt a tug of a smile pull at his lips. Tohru was always saving him, it seemed, despite needed saving herself often. Yuki was glad she was out of the house, though. With Shigure gone to the main house, Yuki knew Kyo would feel more liberated to start a fight with him, and that wasn’t what Tohru needed to deal with.

Not that Shigure was much of a buffer to Kyo’s pension for violence, but he was at least an adult that could provide some form of reassurance to Tohru when Kyo got into a mood. Yuki’s scowl returned to his face at the thought of the cat. Lately, he had been more insistent in his attempts to start a fight with Yuki.

This whole situation was really a catch-22 for Yuki. On one hand, he felt bad for Kyo. Obviously there was some deep seated issues that Kyo projected onto Yuki, probably because of that stupid story. What other reason could the other boy have for his incessant need to fight Yuki? What confused Yuki most was that Kyo always came back for more, no matter how bad he was beat.

At the same time, Yuki was envious of Kyo. His place in the Zodiac meant Kyo wasn’t beholden to the god, whereas Yuki had a favorable position that meant he was subjected to Akito’s oppressive rule. Still, it had been a long time since Yuki tried to get any sort of approval from Akito. The distance he had now may be small, but the liberating feeling of being away from Akito was worth more than anything. Similarly, Kyo’s ability to open up and make friends had always left Yuki burning with frustration at his own inability to connect with anyone on a meaningful level, all perfectly concealed behind the mask that was probably the cause of his isolation in the first place.

At times, Yuki often found himself watching his orange-headed counterpart. It started as an attempt to learn the ways in which Kyo was able to connect with people, but after a while, it became more of a weird obsession, Yuki had to admit. It was strange how he had never noticed how… intricately attractive Kyo was. His features, at first, seemed loud and gaudy. Yuki himself took relief that his features were more or less normal, though his grey hair and girlish features were certainly not the most covert, at least he looked semi-normal. Kyo, on the other hand… Orange hair and eyebrows, tanned skin, those ruby orbs sitting in a nest of long lashes… for all intents and purposes, Kyo should be ridiculous looking. And yet… there was a certain delicate kind of beauty to him, despite (or perhaps because of) his very odd coloring and features. A delicate nose, high cheekbones, plush lips.

It was embarrassing for Yuki to admit; that he liked the way Kyo looked would probably not be seen as normal by anyone’s standards, even those of the family. Especially those of the family.

But still... Yuki couldn’t help but take note of Kyo’s lithe form, and it was with amusement and a strange sense of satisfaction that he realized that—though Kyo’s height remained on par with Yuki’s as time went on, it became evident (at least to Yuki’s meticulous gaze) that Kyo’s shoulder span was going to remain small and lithe, while Yuki’s frame had grown to surpass his orange-haired cousin’s.

So yes, Yuki’s feelings towards Kyo were less-than-hateful…

He sighed as he stepped into a puddle, the water soaking into his shoe and sock. He felt the vein above his brow throbbed in annoyance. Though he was almost home, he was completely soaked.

The last bit of his trek through Sohma property had Yuki feeling anxious to get home. All he wanted was to take a warm shower and curl up at the kotatsu, reading a book, but this desire would no doubt be foiled by an orange cat, who was probably champing at the bit to get into a fight.

When he got into the house though, it was silent.

“I’m home,” he said quietly, wanting to preserve the peace, if at all possible. No response met him, and he assumed Kyo was upstairs and didn’t hear him. Good.

He set the bag of groceries down on the kitchen counter, resolving that he would put them away later, after having a shower.

He almost made it upstairs too, but stopped in his tracks at the sight that greeted him when he walked through the living room. Kyo, shirtless, pants riding low on his hips—Yuki was quick to note—sleeping next to the kotatsu, the faint sound of the TV filtering through the room.

Yuki felt his heartbeat increase at the sight. Tan skin stretched taught over a lithe frame, perfect features lax and at peace amongst a nest of orange hair, long lashes pressed against tanned cheeks.

Yuki was mesmerized. It was as if he couldn’t control himself as he moved forward, coming to kneel next to Kyo’s supine form, eyes drinking in every once of skin visible. He couldn’t stop himself from carding his hands through those orange locks, noting with satisfaction that they were as soft as they looked, his other hand coming to stroke up and down the length of Kyo’s arm.

Yuki thought he was busted when Kyo shifted.

His frame rolled over to get closer to Yuki, face pressing against Yuki’s knee, nuzzling him in a very childlike fashion that set off some intense sense of desire within Yuki. It was then that Yuki heard it start up like a quiet engine, a rolling rumble coming from the cat’s chest.

Yuki nearly guffawed ungracefully in elation at the realization that Kyo was purring, something he didn’t even know was possible. His ecstatic mood was diminished when he realized why he had never heard the other boy purr; they were enemies.

Still, this revelation filled him with heat. His hands began to wonder, running along the length of Kyo’s chest, skittering over perfect pink nipples hesitantly, swallowing roughly at the act of touching the object of his desires in this way. It was secretive, it was dirty, it was _wrong. _

And Yuki _loved _it.

His hands became more confident as Kyo’s purrs increased in intensity, pushing his head into Yuki’s lap as if unconsciously asking for attention. Yuki obliged.

Did he ever oblige.

Stroking through fiery hair, hands roaming over bare skin, fingers massaging into muscles. It was when Yuki’s hand traveled down to the V of the other boy’s abdomen, dangerously close o the trail of hair leading into his pants, that Kyo awoke.

Red eyes opened, cloudy and groggy, and Yuki froze. Kyo’s whole frame, previously ever shifting as he responded to Yuki’s touch in his sleep, froze too.

Kyo’s eyes focused on Yuki then, purrs still echoing through his chest, before those stopped too as recognition flooded those red eyes, still clouded by something else. His eyes traveled down to catalog the location of Yuki’s hands, one on his pec and the other just below his navel, the tips of the fingers barely breaching his pants.

Yuki waited for the explosion, the shouts of “pervert!” and “sicko!” ringing in his ears, and with a sick twinge of guilt, he realized they were the truth.

But the words never came. Kyo’s signature temper seemed absent entirely from the boy beneath him.

What occurred next left Yuki more shocked than he had ever been in his life. Kyo leaned in to nuzzle into Yuki’s lap once again, letting his eyes drift shut again as he grabbed the hand on his pec and brought it up to his face, resting it on his forehead and hairline, purrs resuming once again.

Yuki didn’t move, even as Kyo began shifting against him once again. It was only when a delicately muttered “Yuki,” reached his ears that Yuki responded, doubling his efforts and paying Kyo the attention he clearly desired.

Kyo gripped Yuki’s hand, pulling him down to lay on top of him, Yuki obediently obliging. The reverberating sensation that went through Yuki’s chest then, with his chest pressed so close to Kyo’s, left Yuki feeling giddy.

Kyo continued to shift against him, nuzzling his face into Yuki’s neck desperately, as if he was starving for contact, all the while making needy, high-pitched sounds Yuki didn’t even know the usually gruff boy was capable of making.

It was all too much for Yuki, who gripped Kyo’s hair, pulling his head back from the crook of Yuki’s neck so that Yuki could meet those plush lips with his own.

Kyo, for his part, was slow to respond, eyes half lidded, moaning into the contact.

It wasn’t long before Yuki felt himself getting hard, length pressing against Kyo’s taught, squirming body. He pulled back from the kiss, looking into Kyo’s half-lidded cloudy eyes, staring into them as if they held a clue to what was going on.

No such clue became evident, and Yuki’s desire became too much. He flipped the pliant body gently, one hand pressed on the middle of Kyo’s back to hold him there, but Yuki quickly realized the boy wasn’t going anywhere, seemingly in a trance at the ministrations Yuki was bestowing upon him.

Those high-pitched moans spurred him on as he undid the waistband of Kyo’s pants, sliding them down those long legs, marveling at the skin that was exposed to him. Curiously, Kyo had no tan lines. Yuki briefly wondered if that meant the boy was naturally this color, or if he simply tanned completely naked.

Such thoughts were thrown from his mind however when Kyo shifted, confused eyes staring back at Yuki, to which Yuki responded by pressing the length of his body atop Kyo’s, reaching up and over to kiss the other. At that, Kyo seemed to relax, melting into the floor, his frame going limp under Yuki’s superior one.

Yuki pulled away, stripping out of his still wet clothes quickly, afraid that he would lose his nerve if he stopped too long to think about what he was about to do.

There was some lotion on the kotatsu, Torhu’s she used for her hands after washing dishes. Yuki cringed at what he was about to do with it, but the pliant warm body beneath him wouldn’t allow him to stop.

Kyo was tight, tight enough that two fingers were difficult. Still, he was receptive, moaning and panting at each thrust. It wasn’t long (or at least it didn’t seem it) before Yuki deemed the other boy prepared enough.

Yuki slathered some lotion on himself, gasping at the sensation, before lining his cock up with Kyo’s entrance.

“Kyo,” he said in a moment of clarity, “do you want this?” He doubted he could stop now, but he also couldn’t continue now that he had asked.

Kyo said nothing, merely shifting underneath him, little mews leaving his lips. How fitting.

“Kyo. I need to know that you want this.” Yuki was harried at the idea that he wouldn’t be able to continue.

After several beats of silence, which were filled with Yuki going into a panic at what he should do next, Kyo responded.

“Y-yes,” he breathed out, and Yuki could see the tips of his ears peaking up out of his hair, both of them a bright red, “yes, y-yes, Yuki…” he moaned breathlessly.

That was all Yuki needed before sliding into the tight heat, moaning at the feeling. He gripped the tight tanned globes beneath him, using his grip as leverage to begin thrusting.

Kyo moaned, the sound obscured by his purrs, which were beginning to get out of hand. Yuki reached around the slim waist to grip the cock there, momentarily shocked to feel it in his hand. It was smaller than Yuki’s, or at least it felt it, and Yuki felt a bit of good-natured amusement rise up within him as he continued thrusting into the boy beneath him.

“You’re a bit small here, Kyo,” he said, tugging gently on the cock, “it does match the rest of you, that’s for sure. I just can’t get over the idea that big bad Kyo isn’t exactly packing.” He jabbed, not necessarily wanting to elicit a reaction.

Kyo let out a high-pitched squeak at that, blush filling his cheeks and throat, face pinched in embarrassment.

Yuki wasn’t expecting how much that reaction endeared Kyo to him. His thrusting renewed as he felt his end coming, the hand stroking Kyo moving more rapidly now to bring the redhead with him, rough thrusts matching his hand.

“It’s okay, mmmmh, Kyo,” Yuki said between thrusts, leaning his head closer to Kyo so he could whisper in his ear, “I like you just like _this._”

With a wordless cry, Kyo finished, shooting all over the wood floor beneath them. Yuki quickly followed suit, pushing all the way in to fill Kyo.

Both boys collapsed, with Yuki trying hard not to crush the smaller boy with his large frame. Now that they were done, Yuki expected to be thrown off; he expected Kyo to start freaking out right about now.

But he didn’t. He didn’t turn to face Yuki, so he sat up to peak over at the other boy’s face, only to see his eyes were once again closed. Yuki looked down at himself, nearly dry but now slightly sticky. The warmth of the body next to him and the kotatsu behind him outweighed his need to shower, and he settled down behind Kyo, hands coming up to wind around the other, a smile plastering over his face when Kyo immediately began purring again and shifting next to him.


	2. Strength

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyo comes to from his rain-induced haze. Is what they did... real? Or is it all an elaborate trick? How can Kyo trust him enemy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep in mind I haven't read the manga and I have only seen 4 or 5 episodes of the 2019 anime and all of the 2001 anime. There will be inconsistencies simply because I don't know the full Fruits Basket lore. But please enjoy. 
> 
> There may be grammatical and/or spelling errors because I did not proofread. Will probably proofread later.

When Kyo awoke, he immediately felt the desire to go back to sleep. The rumbling in his chest was lulling him, calling to him to fall back asleep, but his head felt clearer now, as if the rain had stopped. Kyo catalogued with his ears that it probably had stopped, listening with his keen sense of hearing without opening his eyes. He sighed and shifted, nuzzling his face deeper into the warm mass next to him, purring contentedly.

And he would have fallen right back asleep for who knows how long, if not for the fact that said mass next to him had shifted in return; if not for the feeling of two hands pressing against Kyo’s naked body, tucking him further into the side of whatever was next to him, Kyo would have fallen back into the pleasant rain-induced dream he was having.

As it was, his eyes shot open, and he stumbled back when his vision was consumed with the naked and very well-built chest of a man. At least, he attempted to stumble back, but the strong arms twining around his body prevented him from getting much distance between him and this stranger.

Kyo could hear his panicked breathing, the only sound in the room other than the other person’s breathing, now that his purrs had stopped abruptly. Vision shaky, he let his gaze drift up the stranger’s body, his neck, his face, only to realize with growing horror that this wasn’t a stranger, it was his sworn enemy.

Yuki.

Fuck.

Then it all came back. One minute he was watching anime on the TV, the next he was feeling himself drift off into a dream, and then, Yuki. His touch was like ice, cold hands caressing Kyo. And yet, the touch was _delicious, _so reverent and hesitant and just what Kyo wanted; the attention he desperately needed being bestowed upon him as if he was a prize and not the genetic garbage of his family’s curse. The fact that it was coming from his enemy made it all the more satisfying, as if he was getting _something, _some sort of win over Akito, some sort of win over Yuki himself. To have the rat touch him with intent so unlike that of what he was used to, _because, of course, they were constantly fighting,_ was like scratching an itch he didn’t know he had.

And then, Kyo remembered with increasingly reddening cheeks, how it became overtly sexual. And well, Kyo was shocked that it had gone that route, but not exactly resistant, desiring the touch of the other in his rain-addled head. Or… did the rain not play such a big part in this? Could it be that if someone else had come, Shigure, or Haru, or Tohru…hypothetically, would Kyo have been so acquiescent to any of them, if they were in Yuki’s place? Or was Kyo’s reaction specific to Yuki? The thought made him queasy. Any sort of feelings other than abject hatred would surely hinder Kyo’s ability to beat Yuki and thus secure his own freedom.

So lost in his own lamentations, Kyo failed to notice that the other had awoken and was now looking down at his face intently.

“Kyo,” and Kyo nearly jumped at the low rumble of Yuki’s voice, the larger man’s chest pressed against Kyo’s own, before his gaze flicked up, frantic red eyes caught in Yuki’s calm—and perhaps even slightly amused, the bastard—stare.

Kyo knew his features must be wild but couldn’t find it in himself the strength to school his face, letting his fear and apprehension show, raw and unbridled. The amusement on Yuki’s face was replaced with trepidation, though maddeningly enough, the rat’s perfect features were still obnoxiously self-assured and confident, as if he could do no wrong.

The rat’s hands began sliding up and down Kyo’s back, stroking his long-neglected need for attention, nearly lulling Kyo back into the obsequious nature that came along with his feline instincts when he was given the attention he needed in _just the right _place, until he took in the full context of his situation; that they were both stark ass naked on the living room floor, bodies pressed together in what Kyo could only assume was lewd—being that he had no real experience with this sort of thing—and that sense of calmness was quickly replaced again with apprehension, his arms coming up to press against Yuki’s bare chest, noting with no small amount of annoyance that his hands looked awfully small against the large expanse of Yuki’s pale chest.

“Now Kyo, don’t freak out.” Yuki’s smooth voice reverberated through Kyo’s chest again, stilling his hands momentarily, “It doesn’t have to be like whatever you’re thinking it has to be like.” Yuki finished, his voice placating and absurdly calm as it always seemed to be, hands resuming their comforting path across his back.

Those hands, touching him, holding him close, lulling him into a near trance. Kyo couldn’t help it when he felt the beginnings of a purr form in his chest, eyelids dropping momentarily as he savored the touch of his enemy.

He stared up at Yuki’s perfect face through hooded eyes, his own hands no longer pressing against Yuki in an attempt to push him away, instead kneading his hands gently into the other man’s pectorals.

Kyo felt the intense need to feel Yuki’s lips against his own, and unable to stand this desire any longer, he craned his head up, clumsily pressing his lips to the rat’s in an inexperienced yet heated kiss.

Yuki was frozen in shock, which melted away within seconds as he twined a hand up into Kyo’s orange silky locks, pressing the smaller boy to him, controlling the kiss, not much more experienced than Kyo but still somehow unfairly adept at it, as it seemed Yuki was with all things.

Kyo felt himself get hard, length pressed to Yuki’s bare hip, recalling with great embarrassment that Yuki had called him small when they had sex earlier. He felt his remaining pride and dignity plummet when he felt the turgid press of Yuki’s own length pressed to Kyo’s lower abdomen, the feel of it making him woozy at the realization that such a huge thing had been inside him.

Yuki pulled back breathlessly, a slow smile forming on his lips, dazzling Kyo with his boyish good looks. Damn him. “As fun as this is, I think I should shower.”

Kyo felt himself prickle at that, indignant as if Yuki was calling _him _dirty, when Yuki had been the one to come in and molest Kyo with his soaking rain-wet hands, then proceed to fuck Kyo for good measure.

“Care to join me?” Yuki continued, smile now sly and hopeful as he inched his head towards Kyo, capturing the cat’s lips once again, thrusting his hips against Kyo’s wickedly, causing a choked yelp to fall from the cat’s lips. Kyo nodded dumbly, breathless and hopelessly confused and turned on.

Yuki de-tangled himself from Kyo then, standing unabashedly, no shame even as his cock bobbed against his abdomen, making his way to the stairs, so self-assured that Kyo would follow.

And follow he did.

Yuki was in the shower by the time Kyo entered the bathroom, gray hair flattening against his head as he drenched himself under the spray. He looked up as Kyo approached, smiling welcomingly, and Kyo felt his heart nearly burst from his chest at it all, seeing him now that he wasn’t under the haze of the rain, fully bare and smiling all for Kyo. Conflicting thoughts spiraled through Kyo’s head even as he entered the shower, hands wrapped around himself embarrassedly. What was he doing?

Yuki must have seen Kyo’s troubled expression, because his cold smooth hands came up to settle on Kyo’s shoulders gently, leaning in so their faces were closer than necessary, “Why don’t we enjoy this for now, hmm? We can dissect it all we want later.” He didn’t say whether it would be truly over later or not, but Kyo felt the weight on his shoulders disappear, even as Yuki’s hands stayed there, massaging the tense muscles there.

Yuki’s hands began to wonder, his frame inching closer and closer towards Kyo, who was watching his approach. The predatory gleam in the rat’s gray orbs sent a chill down Kyo’s spine as he backed up away from the rat until he was pressed against the shower wall and he was no longer in the spray of the water, the hot cascade falling over Yuki’s lower half like smooth fabric, making his skin glisten. Kyo’s eyes widened as Yuki boxed him in, breath hot between them.

Pressed up against the wall like this, with the rat seemingly in control of the situation, Kyo noted with deranged irony that this situation was all wrong. He was the cat, the one who should have control over the rat as established by the natural order of things, and yet, the broadness of Yuki’s shoulders and the determination in his eyes made Kyo weak in the knees, two things that had previously made him irrationally mad but were now a source of some erotic thrill, two things that now made this all seem so right.

“Unless… you don’t want to?” There was only slight unsureness there, as if Yuki was mostly convinced of the reality of the situation himself but was leaving it open ended, all for Kyo.

To Kyo, it sounded like a challenge.

He surged forward, pressing his lips against Yuki’s, trying to use his limited knowledge of kissing, but probably failing miserably, movements all uncoordinated, nose bumping Yuki’s a number of times, hands coming to rest on the gray-haired man’s hips.

The rat didn’t seem perturbed by it; if anything, Kyo’s enthusiasm lit a flame in him. His hands traveled the expands of Kyo’s back, fingers massaging into the sinewy muscles there before one hand made its way to the small of Kyo’s back, the other going up to tangle in his hair.

Yuki pulled him back under the spray, lips never leaving each other, hands continuing to guide Kyo.

Yuki pulled away then, retreating out of the cascade to stare at Kyo with that same predatory glint in his eye, looking the other over with such intensity, Kyo felt his cheeks color further and had to stifle the impulse to cover himself.

“God, that gorgeous hair,” Yuki muttered before diving in for more, tilting Kyo’s neck back so he could run his lips up the column of his tanned throat, “you’ve no idea how beautiful you are.”

Kyo preened, melting into the other, brows upturned at the compliment, wanting desperately for it to be true, for someone to find him desirable in that way. Even if it wasn’t true, he wanted it… just for now. He wanted to be the antithesis of the monster he had always been… even if it was fake. Even if it was with his enemy, and would eventually end up being… a joke? A trick? Whatever this was, right now, he wanted it, no matter where it went. Just for now.

“Do you like that? You like it when I call you beautiful?” Yuki asked, voice raw and honest, not a hint of cruel teasing like Kyo would have expected from him, or anyone else, at such an idea.

All Kyo could to was let out a shaky breath, hands on Yuki’s hips trembling minutely before ever so slightly nodding his head, nearly-involuntarily. If he could see himself now, some nasty part of his mind thought, he would hate himself for this weakness. Still…

Just for now.

The hand on his back was suddenly on his cock then, fisting it together with Yuki’s, and Kyo nearly cried out at the sensation.

“You’re pretty even _here.” _Yuki whispered hotly into his neck, teeth grazing the skin. It took a second for Kyo to realize exactly what he was talking about.

“When I imagined you, I guess I never considered you’d have this,” Yuki continued, thumb brushing over the thatch of thick hair at the base of Kyo’s cock, just as bright orange as the hair on his head, “Not sure why I didn’t think of that. But its _such _a nice surprise, god.” Kyo felt a shocked whimper bubble out of his throat and struggled to remain quiet at the rat’s comments, noting with a start that Yuki’s pale cheeks were now pinked slightly, whether from the hot water or his own words, Kyo couldn’t tell.

God, this whole thing would surely come back to bite him in the ass when it was all over, but Yuki’s lewd compliments sent a thrill through Kyo, making his gut clench and his cock twitch within the rat’s grasp.

Something hit Kyo then, and he couldn’t stop the question from slipping from his lips, voice strained and high, needy and desperate, “i-imagined?”

Yuki stopped his ministration then, eyes widening for a split second before he seemed to school his demeanor, “I guess my cards are on the table now.” He sighed before leaning into kiss Kyo with vigor, as if trying to drill some deeper meaning into the other boy.

“I’ve thought of you in this… context for a while now. You’ll probably think less of me for this, but sometimes when I look at you, I can’t help but want a taste.”

Kyo’s gaze dropped, his face felt like it was on fire. Was this true? Or just part of the… sex? Kyo didn’t have a reference point for either receiving compliments nor having sex to compare to this situation. He felt his inadequacy fuel his frustration at himself.

“I’ve always sort of… admired things about your personality, albeit at first unwantedly. And… I began to take interest in your looks, for a while now.”

Kyo didn’t respond, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat.

Yuki grabbed his chin, thumb pressing into his bottom lip, “You’re really quite pretty, Kyo.”

And that was all it took, those words urging Kyo forward to kiss the other, tan arms thrown around pale broad shoulders, molding himself to the other with reckless abandon, thrusting into Yuki’s hand and against his cock.

Yuki responded in turn, moaning into the kiss, following Kyo’s lead and thrusting his own cock into his hand, stroking them both.

They finished like that, Kyo first, who broke the kiss to let out a desperate mewl, staring into grey eyes as he finished into Yuki’s hand. Yuki followed soon after, groaning and resisting the urge to roll his eyes back into his head, in favor of staring at Kyo’s flushed face as he spilled.

Their heated gaze lasted several moments more before they took turns stepping under the spray to rinse off, neither one fully aware of the heated gaze that followed the other as they both performed their task.

They stepped out and dried off, Kyo taking longer to work out the knots Yuki had put into his hair. When he finished, he startled when he noticed Yuki had been watching him intently. Yuki would have smirked at the cat, so easily startled, but his serious face and what he said next put unease into Kyo’s gut.

“If you want to talk about this, get dressed and meet me downstairs. If you don’t come down, I’ll take it to mean that this,” he gestured between them, “was a one-time thing, and stops here.” Kyo thought he heard a slight bitterness twinge those last words but couldn’t be sure if it was real or just his imagination.

Yuki left then, towel around his neck, unconcerned that the rest of him was naked as he left the bathroom to presumably his room.

Kyo took a deep breath, mind still addled with his release, the levity of Yuki’s words striking him fully. So what was to happen now? This entire ordeal had been completely out of the ordinary, both for him and surely for Yuki. What was Yuki’s intention, here? What was his move?

Kyo smacked himself, looking at his reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing himself after what he had just done. Why should he care what Yuki was going to do? Yuki was his enemy. Kyo would not allow the rat to use this curse-induced weakness to take advantage of him. He would not allow the rat to use this to win.

Kyo’s life depended on it.

When he emerged from his bedroom, now fully clothed, he walked down the stairs robotically, fear lacing each step. He resolved that even if the rat gloated over him for this, he wouldn’t let it deter him. He would always continue to persevere because, without perseverance, he was doomed to the cage. Yuki could laugh at him all he wanted. He could tell the family, he could call Kyo a disgusting little pervert for all he cared. When Kyo was free, he was out of here and away from these people to start a new life, one where some semblance of peace could be achieved.

He kept these thoughts swirling in his head with each step, but by the time he had reached the bottom of the stairs, his resolve was quickly waning, thoughts now jumbled with the looks on his family’s faces when Yuki no doubt told them what he had gotten Kyo to do. What he had discovered about him… that Kyo was… desperate for it, for attention and affection and compliments. That Yuki had him mewling and moaning like a cat in heat. Pathetic.

It didn’t matter. He hated them all as much as they hated him, anyway. As long as Akito honored the deal, he could do it. As long as he had hope, he was hopeful.

But what if Akito refused to honor the deal because of this? The god was always violent and temperamental; there was no telling what Akito would to, should this come out. Would Yuki really go that far?

Kyo swallowed the lump in his throat as he got to the last step, padding barefoot towards the kitchen, intent on getting a glass of milk before this no-doubt torturous and cruel discussion happened.

Yuki nearly jumped when he saw him, and Kyo had to tamper down a satisfied smirk at that, it wouldn’t have done much anyway, since Yuki immediately smiled upon seeing him, a pearly-white perfect smile, unbidden and honest. He must really be enjoying himself with this shit.

“I’m glad you’re here. I thought that… well, uh, here.” Yuki handed him a full glass of milk; his other hand occupied with a cup of tea. “Let’s go sit in the living room.” Both boys missed how the other’s face filled with color at the mention of the living room.

The sofa was comfortable, but Kyo sat stiffly beside Yuki, not touching his milk, wanting desperately to get this whole thing over with.

A few beats passed before Yuki spoke, eyes never leaving the cup of tea in his hands, “I meant every word I said, Kyo. That I enjoy… you.”

Kyo remained still, unwilling to fall for the rat’s trick. Again.

“But more than just a weird admiration and… a sexual thing… I… _like _you.”

Kyo peered over at him then, resentment clear on his face at this charade.

Yuki returned his glance, his train of thought seemingly interrupted as he took in Kyo’s expression, “what?”

“I’m just wondering when you’re gonna drop the act and tell me what you want.”

Yuki blinked, confused.

“What?” he repeated.

Did Yuki think he was stupid? Kyo was having none of this.

“Cut the shit, Yuki. What’s your angle?”

“Are you… under the impression that I’m _playing _you right now? After what we just did? Fuck, Kyo, I’m not a monster!” Yuki set his cup on the kotatsu, stance well and truly aggravated now.

Kyo matched it, putting his glass down and crossing his arms petulantly. “I _know _you’re playing with me. There’s no way you actually believe that shit. C’mon, what’s your next move? You gonna tell everyone now? ‘Hey, guess what? Kyo, the curse’s favorite, is so desperate for it he’ll let anyone have a spin!’ or maybe ‘Kyo’s so starved for attention, he’ll do anything for a pittance of a compliment.’ You might not be a monster, but I’m not so deluded to think I’m not one.”

“Kyo, I—”

“So just fucking do it! When I’m free, I won’t have any contact with any of the family at all. So see if I care if you tell everyone!” Kyo leapt up, intent on fleeing the room, and he would have if not for the hand gripping his arm. Damn.

“I’ve never thought of you that way! Not really!” Yuki shouted, shaking Kyo by the arm, “I might have said some things, but I never meant it! Any of that shit I used to say.” Yuki pulled Kyo back, tossing him onto the sofa and crouching down in front of his so they were eye level, hands on Kyo’s knees, “You were just some kid who was a dick to me back then, and then you were always picking fights for no reason, and I know it was hard for you, but it was hard for me too!” Yuki’s voice cracked towards the end, but his face remained hard, brows down turned.

“I never saw us as pitted against each other because of the curse. You and I are on the same team, Kyo. I hate them too, okay? I hate that things are like this. I hate who I’ve become because we’re cursed. But I never gave it to you harder than you dished it out.”

Kyo stared up at him, his brows twitching as his resolve broke. His next words came out so fast that he wasn’t sure if he was even making sense.

“That’s just great. Of course, it’s all my fault! I mean, sure, I was a shitty kid to you, but I got the short end of the stick and all I had to blame was you, so I’m _sorry _if I hurt your poor _feelings, _and I’m sorry that me starting fights with you was such a _nuisance, _but I’ve been literally fighting for my life, which I hold in a bit of a higher priority than your precious _feelings,_ and honestly, if I could go back, I’d change the bet to someone else; it’s not like I thought it through logically at the time, I was scrambling, and I’d have picked someone easier to beat had I known you would be an impossible opponent. It was a rash decision I made as a kid, a kid whose fate was the cage! So I’m _sorry_ that I—!”

“Wait, what? What bet?” Yuki demanded suddenly, cutting off Kyo’s choked diatribe.

Kyo stared at him incredulously, “you ass. Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

Yuki stared at him quizzically, one perfect grey brow raised in question.

“The bet! The bet. The one I made with Akito. Everyone in the family knows it.” Kyo explained, sounding unsure now.

Yuki just stared back at him, more puzzled than ever. Realization dawned on Kyo.

“You… never knew?”

Yuki was beginning to look annoyed now.

“The bet. The bet. I bet Akito that if I could beat you, I wouldn’t be locked up in the cage after I turned 20.”

Yuki’s face took on a calculated expression, eyes unseeing as he turned this information around in his head, face becoming increasingly more horrified as time went on. “You… bet Akito? That if… you won a fight with me, you could have your freedom?”

Kyo sighed, realizing the extent of Yuki’s unawareness to this situation. “Yes.”

Yuki stayed silent for several long moments, eyes looking into Kyo’s as if searching for a lie there but finding none.

“Kyo, I… _I would have let you win._”

Kyo scoffed, “Yeah, that’s probably why no one told you. I bet Akito made it an unspoken rule or some shit.” He said without a hint of mirth.

“I doubt Akito was gonna hold up the deal, in the end. If I somehow managed to beat you, Akito would’ve found a way to lock me up anyway.” Kyo said, surprised at his own ability to admit that. All this time he had been operating under the delusion that someday he would be free, but that was all a pipe dream, in reality. Akito would never let him go. He realized he didn’t feel as upset at that as he thought. Maybe this whole time he had not only been fighting with Yuki, but with himself too. With the idea that his situation was truly hopeless, and, in a few years, he be in a cage until the day he died, whether he ever beat Yuki or not.

Kyo shrunk away from Yuki when he realized the blurriness in his eyes, not wanting the other man to see him cry. Yuki had seen enough of Kyo at his lowest today already. Yuki was brought out of his thoughts by the movement.

“Kyo? Hey, its okay.” Yuki’s voice was soothing, and it only increased the wetness in Kyo’s eyes. Today had already been emotionally taxing, but to now accept his fate? It was too much. Kyo brought his feet up onto the couch, hunching in close to his knees and covering his face with his hands, wanting nothing more than to escape so he could have this breakdown alone. The sob that ripped through his chest was the first of many.

“I’m gonna be locked up in that fucking cage forever.” He said before another sob tore through him.

He didn’t know what he was expecting, but Yuki’s hands on him, soft and big and cold, were not it. The rat was next to him in an instant, pulling Kyo close, cradling the redhead, embarrassingly enough.

“Shh, shh. It’ll be okay, Kyo. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” Yuki’s voice was low and soft, but so very confident, as if he had all the power in the word behind his words.

Soft hands on his shoulder, in his hair, on his jaw, rubbing comfortingly into his knee. Kyo wanted.

He wanted, but was it real?

“Why are you doing this?” He asked, voice so small it was sure to make him cringe when he recalled this moment in the future. He looked at Yuki then, knowing his eyes were red and teary but needing to see the rat in this moment.

Yuki met his gaze, eyes so sympathetic, and it was like Kyo was seeing him for the first time.

“Its like I told you, I’ve always admired you. Your strength and determination, amongst your ability to be friendly and open. You consistently surprise me in a good way. You’re like no one I’ve ever met before.”

Kyo’s head slumped forward, resting on Yuki’s shoulder, the soft material of his sweater soaking up Kyo’s tears and he continued to sob.

“You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met either. You were always so much better at everything than me, it was like having an impossible goal,” Kyo sniffled, “but it kept me going. You kept me going. Made me strong. I wished I could be perfect, like you. Soon I’ll never have the chance again.”

“I told you,” Yuki started with a jostle, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Kyo shook his head against Yuki’s shoulder, “there’s nothing you can do, Yuki,” he whispered, sobs still coming.

“You’ve spent the last ten years trying to beat me and you couldn’t. I don’t know what _you_ think that means but it means I’m quite excellent at Kendo. If Akito tries anything, even sending the whole family after you, I won’t let them take you,” Yuki pulled Kyo back to look him in the eyes, “I’ll not let you be locked in the cage.”

Maybe it was that he was already so emotionally vulnerable, maybe it was that he was just tired, but for whatever reason, Kyo believed him.

“We’ll run away if we have to.”

Yuki’s hand was in his hair again, soothing him, lulling into a state of safety he so desperately wanted to fall into.

“I promise.” Yuki whispered, lips so close to Kyo he could _feel _it.

Yuki kissed Kyo then, chaste and sweet, as though it was the seal to the promise he had just made.

Kyo surrendered, letting Yuki maneuver him against him, relishing every gentle touch.

Eventually, they parted. Yuki held Kyo to him in an embrace that seemed to last forever, and with trembling arms, Kyo held onto the rat as well, squeezing him like a lifeline, enjoying the hand petting through his hair.

Would he needlessly dissect this scenario in the future? Would he be smacking himself upside the head for listening to and trusting Yuki?

The thing was, he truly believed Yuki.

The minutes passed and Kyo felt the unfettered impulse to purr roll through him. Now completely free from the rain’s affects, he didn’t know if he could live it down if he started purring right now.

Yuki pulled back, and Kyo had to stop himself from showing just how much the loss of contact disappointed him, before regarding Kyo curiously, looking him over as if searching for something.

Kyo stared back, blinking confusedly.

“You’re not purring.” He said matter-of-factly.

Kyo felt blood flood his cheeks and ears, “w-well, I-I, I just—”

Yuki leaned in, a small knowing smile on his lips, “please won’t you purr for me, Kyo? You have no idea how much I enjoy it. If it feels half as good for me as it does for you, I’d want you purring all the time.”

Kyo stared at him, mouth slightly agape, mortified.

“Maybe… you need some encouragement?” Yuki pondered before shifting them, pulling them both down to lay on the sofa before flipping Kyo so his back was pressed against Yuki’s chest, spooning him.

“I love seeing you like this, Kyo.” He said, voice low and husky, his thumb stroking a path from Kyo’s Adam’s apple to the tip of his chin, like one would a cat.

Yuki’s other hand wound around his torso, holding him tightly, hand drawing circles absent mindedly into Kyo’s chest.

“All flushed and delicate; I never want to stop seeing you like this.”

Kyo could feel his resolve weakening.

“God, you’re so beautiful, Kyo.”

Ah. That did it.

Kyo couldn’t stop the purr that tumbled from him, the affection becoming all too much, Yuki’s strong body behind him, supporting him, petting him, loving him.

It was all he ever wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah. 5k words and I actually kind of like this. Did you like it?  
<3

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah Idk if this is even good lmao. I pretty much write for myself and to satisfy my desire to see my favorite ships that never happen in the actual property. 
> 
> I may write a second chapter to this with the follow up of what happens when Kyo gets out of his rain-induced funk. No promises as I have other fics to finish. 
> 
> Btw if anyone who's subbed to me sees this, I have not abandoned Sickly. I have the next chapter, but its super long and unfinished bcuz its the last one.


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